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| Sunday, 6 November 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Angkor Wat : An architectural masterpiece
The Angkor Wat (wat is Thai for temple) is the most prominent, beautiful and best preserved (the flagship) among the many well-known temples at Angkor, which is in the northeast of Cambodia. These temples were built by the Khmer civilization which lasted from 802-1220AD when Khmer kings ruled areas from Vietnam to China to the Bay of Bengal, with Angkor as the empire's capital. The area was a special pilgrimage site during the era. About 100 stone temples still remain on this site which was a grand religious, social and administrative capital during its heyday; the other buildings such as palaces, homes and public buildings were made mostly of wood and have now decayed. The Khmer empire was founded around the ninth century by Jayavarman II, but its glory days were the 12th century, between the period of Suryavarman II and Jayavarman VII. According to some theories, the Angkor site was chosen by kings due to its military and agricultural potential, but scholars believe sacred geography had decided the temples' position. It has been shown that the temples were in line with the stars of the Draco constellation during the spring equinox in 10500BC. The temples, it is said, were thus set to mirror the harmonisation between the stars and earth. This concept is repeated in the layout of the temple as well as in the sculpture. Angkor Wat was built during the early 12th century by Suryavarman II (1131-1150) to honour the Hindu god Vishnu and encompasses Hindu symbolic representations. Construction had taken over 30 years. The 213 metre tall building is thought to be the highest achievement in temple architecture. The pyramidical structure is 1500mX1300m and comprises terraced complexes and small buildings arranged in diminishing order. The third level comprises five towers, which are the most prominent features of the temple, and are depicted on Cambodia's national flag as well. Angkor Wat is spread out over an 81 hectare land and has some of the most beautiful examples of Khmer and Hindu art and sculpture. There are three-dimensional images among the sculpture which cover almost every inch of the temple wall. The enormous temple is said to represent Mount Meru, which early Hindus believed was the Home of Gods and Centre of the Hindu Universe. Rectangular walls and a 180 metre moat were built around the temple to symbolise the mountain ranges and oceans which surrounded Mt. Meru. The main entrance to the temple, adorned with balustrades and artificial lakes, resembles the rainbow bridge of Hindu myths, which is said to link heaven and earth. The temple's reliefs (murals) depicting stories from Hindu mythology runs along the outer gallery wall and are some of the longest spanning mural works in the world. The city went into ruin under Thai rule and jungles covered much of it. It was brought back to world attention only around 1860 when French missionaries decided to explore the site after hearing rumours about 'temples in the jungle built by gods or giants'. The French started restoring the site around 1908 and restoration has continued since. Angkor Wat was turned into a Buddhist temple around the 16th century with the decline of Khmer empire. It continued to be maintained by Buddhist monks, although the other temples went into ruin. It is considered as an architectural masterpiece due to the perfection of its composition, balance, proportions, reliefs and sculpture. The temple as well as the whole city was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. ########## The cathedral with three spires
The spires are the most recognisable features of this building, which is the only three-spired English cathedral belonging to the medieval period. The central spire is 77 metres in height while the others are about 58 metres. The cathedral itself is 370 feet long while the breadth of the church nave is 68 feet. Construction of the present building started in 1195 and was completed with the Lady Chapel built in the 1330s. The existing building replaced the previous Norman building which had begun work in 1085, and which itself had replaced two Saxon buildings. The original cathedral on this site (the existing cathedral is the third) was dedicated on Christmas Day in 700AD to house the remains of St. Chad, who was the Bishop of the Mercians. He had converted many people to Christianity and inspired countless miracles after his death in 672AD. However, the site of the cathedral had been considered holy from early Roman days. The Lichfield Cathedral was made of sandstone transported from a quarry in the south of the city. The walls of the church nave leaned slightly outwards due to the massive weight of the 200-300 tonne stones in the ceiling vaulting. These were removed during latter day renovations to prevent the walls from leaning further. The cathedral is famous for the octagonal Chapter House completed in 1249 and which is known as one of the most beautiful parts of the building; stone carvings; and the many fine windows. The windows of the Lady Chapel has some of the finest medieval painted glass, which were brought from the Abbey of Herckenrode (now in Belgium) in 1801. The greatest treasure housed in the cathedral is the Lichfield Gospels, an eighth century illuminated manuscript. Another unmissable feature is the brass sculpture in the Lady Chapel, designed to mark the 1300th anniversary of the cathedral's dedication. The choir of Lichfield Cathedral dates back to 1200, the nave to 1260 and the transepts to 1220-1240. These premises made a natural fortress during the English Civil War (1643-1645) due to its defensive walls and ditches. It received much damage in the war and went into decline around the 18th century. However, it was fully repaired during the 19th century, in the Victorian era. Restoration was continued during the 20th century when extensive work was carried out in the spires and roofing in 1957. Work was re-started in 1987 with a 10-year programme of repairs and cleaning. The Lichfield Cathedral has been a huge attraction for visitors for over 1200 years and now has a visitors' study centre as well. This houses a modern touch screen multimedia kiosk packed with information on the building and its history. The cathedral is the venue for many concerts and artistic events including the International Lichfield Festival held annually in July. |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
The Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia is recognised around the world as one
of humankind's most astonishing and lasting architectural achievements. It
is one of the two greatest temples in Southeast Asia, the other being in
Myanmar (Burma). 
Have you heard of the 'Ladies of the Vale'? This name refers to the
three landmark spires of the Lichfield Cathedral which is located in
Lichfield, Staffordshire in the UK. 
